Before a campaign starts, I get everyone to fill this out. Each of the first ten is a 1-to-5 scale. The last three are open-ended. There are no wrong answers; the point is to find the game we all actually want to play.
1. Type of play
Sandbox | 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 | On-the-rails
Sandbox requires a lot of work by the players to make the game interesting. On-the-rails doesn't offer much room for character-specific plots, but is easier to play.
2. Scope
Personal story | 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 | Save the world
The personal-story end explores character interactions and personal goals—"I want to join the ranks of the king's knights," or "I want to retire in wealth and luxury." The save-the-world end puts the players in a much grander plot with important outcomes if they succeed or fail. That kind of campaign is more about the world's story than the individuals.
3. Realism
Real-world | 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 | Fantasy
How grounded in reality is the game? Only mundane pseudo-medieval fantasy, or lots of fantasy elements like magic and dragons?
4. Morality
Complex | 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 | Simple
On the complex side: morally grey situations without a clear right or wrong. These make for dynamic, engaging stories, but may lead to in-character and out-of-character conflict. On the simple side: straight-up good and evil, where the right choice is obvious. Easier to play, but less interesting.
5. Tone
Absurd | 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 | Serious
How much do we want to joke around? How serious should the world, adventures, and NPCs be? Would a character named Druidy McShapeshift be out of place—would Vraadrix Ovu, Firstborn of Qhan? More like Lord of the Rings or Monty Python and the Holy Grail?
6. Weight
Heavy | 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 | Light
How significant or dramatic should events be? Should an important character's death take a long time to recover from, or do we walk into the adventurer's guild and pick up a new member easily. Should your decisions carry serious consequences, or does the world move on regardless? You fail a mission — does a kingdom fall, or do you just not get paid?
7. Agency
Player-driven | 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 | DM-driven
How much do you want me to contribute to the story? Give me your goals and ideas and have me tie them together, or take you along a plot I've built? Do you want to invent your own lore — deities, factions — or exist within the framework of the world I create?
8. Gameplay
Combat | 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 | Roleplay
During the game, do you want more combat, more roleplay, or somewhere in the middle?
9. Mechanical depth
Realism | 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 | Abstraction
How important is it to track mechanical things — food, water, resources, ammo? Account for every arrow, or effectively infinite ammo until it's dramatic or interesting to be running low? This can greatly change how much bookkeeping the game needs.
10. Risk of death
Deadly | 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 | Friendly
Should characters permanently die in any random battle? Only in important scenes? Do they die but can be brought back? Or do you just get "whited out" and continue, maybe with long-term consequences?
Open Questions
- What do you want from this game?
- What do you not want from this game?
- Any other thoughts to share?